Fuzz Evil, a Sierra Vista, Arizona outfit, releases their first full-length, Fuzz Evil. So, to dive into this album, one hopes for a decent stoner rock experience, and hopefully that it is on par. It is everything stoner rock has to offer, with heavy influence from 70’s metal, drenched in distortion and fuzz, as the name admits. I wouldn’t say the album is a decent experience, but it is on par. It barely stays afloat in the stoner rock sea, but it does make it to bay in the end.
The album opens with “Good Medicine,” which sets the tone with a desert/stoner rock groove album. “Killing The Sun” has the “soaring vocals” the band claims are in the music. “Bring Them Through,” a song about a séance for two lovers from the 1800’s, is like a clash between Black Sabbath and Hendrix, but with a cheesy story. So far the album doesn’t make me feel like I am getting stoned and soaring through space, but more of like sitting in a bar in the desert, surrounded by leather pants, mixed drinks, and spiky hair. Then the album shifts with “Odin Has Fallen” which has a more psych/stoner feel than the rest with the fuzzy/flanging leads and reverberated vocals. Finally it finishes with “Black Dread,” which has some more interesting musical oddities in it with all the feedback play and guitar solos that screams “white-man overbite.”
Fuzz Evil begins as desert rock, phases through 70’s rock, transcends into psych rock, and remains stoner rock throughout. If you are looking for your standard stoner rock with a dash of desert rock, this album might be for you. I feel that much of stoner rock should really just take a rest already, the method doesn’t allow for much variety, usually leading any stoner rock show/album/song/etc. to sound and feel monotonous throughout; this album is no exception. For a three piece, the album does have the feel of having a full band, a good sign that these three know what they are doing, and have a synergistic relationship. Fuzz Evil definitely has potential, but unfortunately their musical outlet will most likely hinder any improvement. Fuzz Evil is an unexceptional album, nothing terribly wrong with it, and yet nothing worth noting.
Rating: 4.9/10
